Foxconn’s iPhone factory partially restarts production

Apple’s main iPhone manufacturing partner, Foxconn, generated a small crisis on news a COVID-19 outbreak had interrupted production at one of its biggest factories this week. Now it seems the crisis has abated slightly as Chinese authorities give it permission to recommence production.

Bad news, good news

Foxconn has now partially restarted production at its Shenzhen factory after briefly suspending it on Monday, financial news sites report.

This is conditional on the company maintaining strict COVID-19 bubbles and workers remaining in relative isolation, these reports explain.

Shutdowns across the nation have generated delays across electronics supply chains, reports explain. This is generating logistical and component supply challenges, they say.

Production in a bubble

China is thought to have implemented similarly tight COVID protections as it put in place during the Olympics. Employees are regularly tested and not permitted to leave their ‘bubble’.

“This process, which can only be done on campuses that include both employee housing and production facilities, adheres to strict industry guidelines and closed-loop management policies,” Foxconn said in a statement.

In related news from China, Luxshare, and Goertek, have moved into chip packaging for the iPhone maker.

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